Apparatus for washing clothes



March 17, 1936. J. c. NELSON 2,034,631

APPARATUS FOR WASHING CLOTHES Filed Aug. 21', 1935 Ml I i Invmrmfi H I 1 5%4,

Mi 5 5 I k? /9 BY ATTBRNEYS Patented Mar. 17, 1936 urrso APPARATUS FOR WASHING CLOTHES Application August 21, 1933, Serial No. 686,173

6 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in apparatus for washing clothes and reference is hereby made to my copending application Serial No. 666,338 filed April 15, 1933.

In the above-mentioned copending application, I have described a novel method of and apparatus for washing clothes in which a dolly or agitator having a plurality of blades is mounted in a vat, the blades and central portion of the dolly being so arranged that when the dolly is oscillated the contents of the vat are circulated in one general direction around the vat. As the clothes circulate around the outer circumference of the vat they rise upwardly toward the surface in a sometoward the center where the clothes are subjected to an action which I have characterized as an individual action on the clothes as distinguished from a collective action.

An object of my present invention is to provide an agitator of the general above described type adapted to circulate the contents of the vat in one general direction around the vet.

A further object of my invention is to provide an agitator having blades curved around a central post and curved laterally crosswise of the blades whereby upon oscillation of the agitator the contents of the vat are violently agitated and circulated around the vat in one general direction and during the operation each article of clothing is individually separated and flexed.

Other objects and advantages relate to specific details of the invention all as will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a cross sectional view showing my novel dolly mounted in a washing vat.

Figure 2 is a perspective side view of my novel dolly;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the dolly;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line l-3, Figure 1.

The dolly of my invention may be mounted in any suitable vat or tub, such as illustrated in the drawing, having side walls l I, a bottom 82 and a cover l3. The bottom of the vat at substantially its central portion is provided with an opening what spiral curve and then are drawn inwardly of the dolly shaft I! may, as shown in the drawing, be provided'with thrust bearing in the form of a contact ball l8.

Any usual and well known means may be provided for oscillating the dolly shaft through a desirable are as, for instance, 200 degrees more or less and there is here shown a gear 'l 9 mounted on the shaft for rotation therewith and adapted to be driven in reverse directions by a segmental gear or rack 2i reciprocated by any suitable mechanism well known in the art to which this invention applies generally indicated by the numeral 22. The mechanism for oscillating the dolly may be partially enclosed by an apron 23 depending from the washing vat and secured in operative position in any suitable manner.

The dolly shaft l'l projects above the bearing it and is formed at its upper end with lengthwise splines or grooves 2d for inter-engagement with corresponding splines or grooves on a bearing member 26 permanently secured within the upper closed end 2? of the dolly generally indicated by the numeral 28. As shown in the drawing, the dolly has a central hollow bore for the reception of, concentric therewith, the shaft ii and the sleeve id. The central bore is shouldered at 30 for reception of a lower bearing 32 which is fixed to the internal periphery of the dolly and rotates with respect to the sleeve i i. In this manner a driving connection and support for the dolly is provided by means of the dolly shaft itself and the dolly is guided by the upper and lower guide bearings iii and 32.

The dolly comprises preferably a substantially cylindrical upstanding central portion or stem which rises substantially from the bottom of the vet to a point normally projecting some distance above the water level so that leakage of cleansing fluid along the shaft ii is prevented.

A plurality of blades 33 extend outwardly from the central portion and curve downwardly and around the central portion any desired amount preferably 180 degrees more or. less to substantially the bottom thereof. In order to distinguish the surface of the blades designated, I have termed one surface, indicated by the numeral 33, the leading surface, and the other surface, indicated by the numeral 38, the following surface. The blades constitute channels extending substantlally from the normal level of the cleansing fluid'and increasing in width toward the bottom of the vat, for example, from a point indicated by the numeral 35 to a point indicated by the numeral 31. The leading surface of the blades adjacent the central portion as at 38 extend outwardly substantially normal to the central portion and gradually curve laterally and upwardly in the direction of the short axis of the blade toward the outer edge as at 39 forming what may be described as a scoop-shaped structure between the outer edge of the blades indicated by the numeral 40 and the following surface 34 of an adjacent blade. The following blade surfaces 34 preferably extend substantially parallel to the axis of the agitator and, in a direction perpendicular to the axis, curve around the central portion in the same direction as the leading surfaces so that when the dolly is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, as shown in the drawing, because the curved following surface 34, is resisted but slightly by the contents of the vat but a slight reversal of flow of the contents of the vat occurs.

In operation, upon rotation of the dolly in a clockwise direction, the cleansing fluid. and clothes are caught in the blades and are drawn downwardly and outwardly towards the bottom and sides the vat and circulated in a clockwise direction around the vat. Upon reversal, because of the curvature of the following surface 34, no substantial reversal of the contents of the vat occurs, the dolly tending to throw the clothes outwardly toward the sides of the vat and, to a certain extent, merely sliding through the water. Upon again reversing, a new batch of clothes is caughtin the blades and hurled downwardly. outwardly and around the vat in a clockwise direction. As the clothes circulate around the vat, they gradually rise to the surface, the path of movement being somewhat spiral in form and upon reaching the surface they are drawn-inwardly towards the center of the vat to be subsequently caught by the blades and thrown downwardly and outwardly as above described. As the clothes are drawn or circulated across the surface, the action more fully described in my copending application which I have characterized an individual action on the clothes as distinguished from a collective action occurs. article of clothing is individually caught by the blades, unfurled 'and flexed backwardly and forwardly 'by the reversals of the dolly, it usually requiring several reversals of the dolly before each article is entirely, so to speak, swallowed by the blades and thrown downwardly and outwardly.

Although I have shown and described a speciflc form and construction of apparatus as constituting an embodiment of the invention, I do not wish to restrict myself to the details shown, as various changes and modifications may be readily made, without departing from the scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine for washing clothes, an oscillatable agitator. mounted therein, said agitator comprising a central axis and a. plurality of blades extending from said axis, one surface of said blades being substantially normal to the bottom of the vat in a direction parallel to the axis and curved from a normal to the axis and the other surface being pocketed lengthwise of the blades, and means for oscillating the agitator.

2. In a machine for washing clothes, a vat, an oscillatable agitator mounted therein, said agi- Each tator comprising a central axis, and a plurality of blades extending from said axis, one surface of said blades being substantially normal to the bottom of the vat in a direction parallel to the axis and curved from a normal to the axis, and the other surface being curved around the axis and curved crosswise of the blades whereby to form pockets extending lengthwise thereof, and means for oscillating said agitator.

3. In a machine for washing clothes, a vat having a normal surface level of cleansing fluid, an oscillatable agitator mounted therein, said agitator comprising an upstanding central portion, and a plurality of blades curved around the scurface of said central portion and forming,

channels extending from substantially the normal surface level of cleansing fluid to the bottom of the vat, said channels extending outwardly in a direction substantially normal to the central portion and increasing in width toward the bottom of the vat, and means for oscillating said agitator.

4. In a machine for washing clothes, a vat having a normal surface level of cleansing fluid, an oscillatable agitator mounted therein, said agitator comprising an upstanding central portion and a plurality of blades curved around the surface of said central portion and forming channels extending from substantially the normal surface level of cleansing fluid to the bottom of the vat, said channels being curved upwardly toward their outer edges and increasing in width toward the bottom of the vat, and means for oscillating said agitator.

5. In a machine for washing clothes, a vat having a normal surface level of cleansing fluid,v

an oscillatable agitator mounted in said vat, said agitator comprising a central portion, and a plurality of blades having leading and following surfaces, the leading surfaces being curved longitudinally and laterally and the following surfaces being curved circumferentially with respect to said central portion and said blades extending substantially from the normal surface level of cleansing fluid to the bottom of the vat, and means for oscillating said agitator.

6. In a machine for washing clothes, a vat for containing the washing fluid and clothes to be washed, an oscillatable agitator mounted in said vat, said agitator comprising a central portion extending upwardly from substantially the bottom of the vat to a point above the horizontal center of the vat and a plurality of blades extending outwardly from said central portion, said blades having a leading surface and a following surface, the leading surface being curved downwardly and advancing around the surface of said central portion and being curved crosswise of the blade and the following surface extending normal to the bottom of the vat and being curved from a normal to the axis in a. direction toward the leading surface, and, means for oscillating said agitator whereby the leading surface exerts a substantial impelling force on the fluid and clothes in the vat and the following surface slips through the washing fluid without exerting an appreciable impelling force on the fluid and clothes.

JABEZ C. NELSON. 

